Blogging as a Means of Ministry
When I asked "What is your opinion of the concept of blogging as a means of ministry, as a way to reach out/minister to other Christians and/or non-Christians?", the opinions on this topic were greatly varied. A few were vehemently opposed to the idea of blogging being used as a form of ministry. Some were concerned that the medium is too impersonal. Some were concerned that it would be done without any tact. One respondent was opposed to the idea of any sort of computer-based ministry because it is not "God ordained." Some stated that blogging should not be used as a form of ministry because it does not create real-life flesh-and-blood relationships.
But, the majority of respondents thought that blogging as a form of ministry is a great idea, "if you can make it work." Many stated that blogging is a great way to come into contact with others whom you would never have any other way of being in contact with.
Many stated they believed the community aspect of weblogging is great for Christians to interact with and minister to other Christians.
Two blogs specifically mentioned by others included Real Live Preacher (named as "a good ministry model online"), and Catholic and Enjoying It. Several respondents identified blogging as a valuable medium for discussing apologetics and theology with other believers. A few respondents also stated that "the emerging church" has been using blogging as a valuable communication and discussion tool.
Many also stated they were unsure how well a ministry tool blogging would work when trying to reach non-Christians.
There were many comments on blogging being a good lifestyle ministry, but not a good evangelistic tool. Respondents commented on the fact that it would be hard to have a successful "preaching" weblog to non-Christians, however a well-written weblog about life as a Christian would be more apt to be well-received by non-Christian readers.
Some of the comments on blogging as a means of ministry include:
-"I think that it is a great way to reach a sector of the population who might not be affected by Christianity any other way. As for Christians it offers the chance for a broad community of believers and thinkers to exchange thoughts."
-"In the fact that bloggers tends to be a little more open and honest, I think it's a good way to set up lifestyle ministry. As a purely evangelistic tool, I think it's pretty lacking in scope. You have to be interesting enough to get people (Christian or non) to want to read your site, and you're not going to get much non-Christian readership by preaching."
-"I think there is potential. I know I often read something which speaks to me at the moment. While I do believe that there is a sense of community among many Christian bloggers, it is the personal face to face contact which would be missing. Nevertheless, I know God has used me many times to speak to other bloggers in need, although this is usually by email from a blog rather than an entry. I have also emailed other bloggers on the spur of the moment and found that my words were used as ministry. Again, these were people with whom I had a relationship, even if only email."
-"I think blogging can be and is a ministry. It encourages relationships and allows Christians to reach out to non-Christians in a medium which is friendly and accessible. One of my non-Christian friends reads my blog sometimes and I hope that through what I have written, she will see what God means to me and what He has done. It's a non-confrontation arena and it's an opportunity to invite people into your life this way."
-"I think for some it will go well but I believe that face to face contact is extremely important. I don't think it should be a stand alone ministry if possible."
-"It can help build bridges when you can't physically meet."
-"Real ministry happens in the context of relationships."
-"My concept is to just put myself, my thoughts and feelings, out there, unedited and authentic, and transparency begets transparency, so that people may see Christ in me, as well as other parts of me too."
-"If you include a commenting system… then you have a forum for discussion, which I guess could be used for ministry .... I think that if you tell people about your faith in an active attempt to spread the gospel, they should be allowed to react to that, ask questions and think it through - otherwise you are hitting them over their heads with the gospel…"
-"It could be a great way t o find hurting people."
-"Blogging as a ministry can be done, but I think in order to be successful you have to build a rapport with your readers. Just telling people what to do isn't usually enough, you have to gain their trust and guide them to discover the truth (make that The Truth) for themselves. You can't argue people into accepting Christ."
-"If you are able to do it great. Christ said to go our into the whole world and preach the Gospel. Blogging can be a means to this end."
-"The concept of blogging is much like journaling in public. We often keep our spiritual beliefs hidden and private, and a blog gives an opportunity to say openly those things we don't often say. It is also somewhat bi-directional and interactive, so a blog can create something like a discussion in a living room among a group of acquaintances. So I think it has a lot of potential. It's fairly anonymous, so people can feel safe about responding to what you have written. That said, the internet is so vast that it is difficult for people who might be inclined to join in such a discussion to find out about you, so I'm not sure just how effective blogs are in the long run. Time will tell."
-"Blogging, at its finest, is a form of communication. It's slower and both more and less precise than other forms, but if you are diligent, you can use your blog as both a tool of debate and an agent of change. That lets you do two things, speak and connect with people, and if you're lucky, provide help or solace. I try to approach blogging as a conduit of love, and of putting my care for humans into a more-or-less concrete form."
-"I see blogging as an extension of who I am and how I live. I 'reach' out to those around me (both Christians and non Christians) in real life when the opportunity arises - I take this same approach with blogging. Its not something I intentionally make a ministry but opportunities have arisen at times to play a part in what God is doing in others lives."
-"It is VERY MUCH useful to encourage those who feel isolated (like stay-at-home moms and particularly those who homeschool) because there just aren't too many of us out there and the likelihood that we live in each others' neighborhoods is remote. The internet makes the world so much smaller and makes it easier to find likeminded individuals so as to feel less isolated and alone, like you're the only one in the world doing what you're doing."
-"It is a great way to minister. I am able to share the things that God is doing in my life to encourage and build up others in their faith. It also helps introduce people who aren't believers to the reality of what Christianity is about. Community blogging allows us to keep in touch with the other people in our church and lets us encourage them when they are going through a tough time. Also a great way for teachers to be able to pass on the things that God is saying so that they can teach others. I could go on for ever on this topic, but it's tough to write in this little box. :)"
-"I think it's great, a new approach so to say. As more and more people engage in blogging, I think it's a whole new place for e-vangelism."
-"Blogging is God-sent. For some of us, elderly or disabled or living in very rural places, it is one of the only ways available to reach out, to serve. In urban areas among the able-bodied it may not be so much so, but for me, it still lets me teach even now."
-Any form of communication can be an avenue of ministry. But blogging for me is a particularly personal kind, more like 1-to-1 conversation.
When I asked "What is your opinion of the concept of blogging as a means of ministry, as a way to reach out/minister to other Christians and/or non-Christians?", the opinions on this topic were greatly varied. A few were vehemently opposed to the idea of blogging being used as a form of ministry. Some were concerned that the medium is too impersonal. Some were concerned that it would be done without any tact. One respondent was opposed to the idea of any sort of computer-based ministry because it is not "God ordained." Some stated that blogging should not be used as a form of ministry because it does not create real-life flesh-and-blood relationships.
But, the majority of respondents thought that blogging as a form of ministry is a great idea, "if you can make it work." Many stated that blogging is a great way to come into contact with others whom you would never have any other way of being in contact with.
Many stated they believed the community aspect of weblogging is great for Christians to interact with and minister to other Christians.
Two blogs specifically mentioned by others included Real Live Preacher (named as "a good ministry model online"), and Catholic and Enjoying It. Several respondents identified blogging as a valuable medium for discussing apologetics and theology with other believers. A few respondents also stated that "the emerging church" has been using blogging as a valuable communication and discussion tool.
Many also stated they were unsure how well a ministry tool blogging would work when trying to reach non-Christians.
There were many comments on blogging being a good lifestyle ministry, but not a good evangelistic tool. Respondents commented on the fact that it would be hard to have a successful "preaching" weblog to non-Christians, however a well-written weblog about life as a Christian would be more apt to be well-received by non-Christian readers.
Some of the comments on blogging as a means of ministry include:
-"I think that it is a great way to reach a sector of the population who might not be affected by Christianity any other way. As for Christians it offers the chance for a broad community of believers and thinkers to exchange thoughts."
-"In the fact that bloggers tends to be a little more open and honest, I think it's a good way to set up lifestyle ministry. As a purely evangelistic tool, I think it's pretty lacking in scope. You have to be interesting enough to get people (Christian or non) to want to read your site, and you're not going to get much non-Christian readership by preaching."
-"I think there is potential. I know I often read something which speaks to me at the moment. While I do believe that there is a sense of community among many Christian bloggers, it is the personal face to face contact which would be missing. Nevertheless, I know God has used me many times to speak to other bloggers in need, although this is usually by email from a blog rather than an entry. I have also emailed other bloggers on the spur of the moment and found that my words were used as ministry. Again, these were people with whom I had a relationship, even if only email."
-"I think blogging can be and is a ministry. It encourages relationships and allows Christians to reach out to non-Christians in a medium which is friendly and accessible. One of my non-Christian friends reads my blog sometimes and I hope that through what I have written, she will see what God means to me and what He has done. It's a non-confrontation arena and it's an opportunity to invite people into your life this way."
-"I think for some it will go well but I believe that face to face contact is extremely important. I don't think it should be a stand alone ministry if possible."
-"It can help build bridges when you can't physically meet."
-"Real ministry happens in the context of relationships."
-"My concept is to just put myself, my thoughts and feelings, out there, unedited and authentic, and transparency begets transparency, so that people may see Christ in me, as well as other parts of me too."
-"If you include a commenting system… then you have a forum for discussion, which I guess could be used for ministry .... I think that if you tell people about your faith in an active attempt to spread the gospel, they should be allowed to react to that, ask questions and think it through - otherwise you are hitting them over their heads with the gospel…"
-"It could be a great way t o find hurting people."
-"Blogging as a ministry can be done, but I think in order to be successful you have to build a rapport with your readers. Just telling people what to do isn't usually enough, you have to gain their trust and guide them to discover the truth (make that The Truth) for themselves. You can't argue people into accepting Christ."
-"If you are able to do it great. Christ said to go our into the whole world and preach the Gospel. Blogging can be a means to this end."
-"The concept of blogging is much like journaling in public. We often keep our spiritual beliefs hidden and private, and a blog gives an opportunity to say openly those things we don't often say. It is also somewhat bi-directional and interactive, so a blog can create something like a discussion in a living room among a group of acquaintances. So I think it has a lot of potential. It's fairly anonymous, so people can feel safe about responding to what you have written. That said, the internet is so vast that it is difficult for people who might be inclined to join in such a discussion to find out about you, so I'm not sure just how effective blogs are in the long run. Time will tell."
-"Blogging, at its finest, is a form of communication. It's slower and both more and less precise than other forms, but if you are diligent, you can use your blog as both a tool of debate and an agent of change. That lets you do two things, speak and connect with people, and if you're lucky, provide help or solace. I try to approach blogging as a conduit of love, and of putting my care for humans into a more-or-less concrete form."
-"I see blogging as an extension of who I am and how I live. I 'reach' out to those around me (both Christians and non Christians) in real life when the opportunity arises - I take this same approach with blogging. Its not something I intentionally make a ministry but opportunities have arisen at times to play a part in what God is doing in others lives."
-"It is VERY MUCH useful to encourage those who feel isolated (like stay-at-home moms and particularly those who homeschool) because there just aren't too many of us out there and the likelihood that we live in each others' neighborhoods is remote. The internet makes the world so much smaller and makes it easier to find likeminded individuals so as to feel less isolated and alone, like you're the only one in the world doing what you're doing."
-"It is a great way to minister. I am able to share the things that God is doing in my life to encourage and build up others in their faith. It also helps introduce people who aren't believers to the reality of what Christianity is about. Community blogging allows us to keep in touch with the other people in our church and lets us encourage them when they are going through a tough time. Also a great way for teachers to be able to pass on the things that God is saying so that they can teach others. I could go on for ever on this topic, but it's tough to write in this little box. :)"
-"I think it's great, a new approach so to say. As more and more people engage in blogging, I think it's a whole new place for e-vangelism."
-"Blogging is God-sent. For some of us, elderly or disabled or living in very rural places, it is one of the only ways available to reach out, to serve. In urban areas among the able-bodied it may not be so much so, but for me, it still lets me teach even now."
-Any form of communication can be an avenue of ministry. But blogging for me is a particularly personal kind, more like 1-to-1 conversation.
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